Perception
by denise1
Summary: Sometimes 'enemy' or 'allie' is all a matter of perception


Perception

By

Denise

"Ya know with all the variety in the universe you'd think they'd come up with something different," Jack complained to his teammates.

"Maybe a few millennia of genetic memory has stunted their creativity," Daniel replied, swinging his pick ax.

"You'd think they'd get bored or something," Jack answered, swinging his ax then stepping back to avoid crushing his foot as a large chunk of the cave wall gave way, the tan stones laced with rich silvery-gray threads of naquadah. He set his ax aside and bent over to help Sam pick up the loosened rocks and put them in the wooden cart.

It was a pattern they'd settled into over the last three days, ever since they'd been so kindly tossed into the mine with the all too familiar threat of work or starve. All in all the experience had been way too reminiscent of P3R636. In fact all it lacked was a stoned out of his gourd ruler and a lovesick princess.

Their mission had started out so normally. There'd been no signs of sentient life or civilizations. Unfortunately the UAV hadn't been equipped to reveal that the main reason no one saw anything was because it had all been hidden, a whole population existing beneath the surface of P4Z323. A population that had surprised them with a level of stealth that rivaled even Teal'c's.

Within a matter of minutes they'd been disarmed and escorted deep underground. The three humans sent to the mines while Teal'c…well they hadn't seen or heard anything from the Jaffa for days.

Jack dropped a large rock into the cart and paused, glancing at his teammates. Daniel was doing ok; he looked haggard and sore but not too bad. Carter on the other hand was a different story. Every time she picked up one of the rocks he or Daniel knocked loose he could see the pain on her face. She wouldn't admit it but he knew her shoulder was hurting her. True Fraiser had cleared her for active duty a month after her dramatic exit through the gate that had dislocated her shoulder and resulted in some rather spectacular bruising, but he also knew that the good doctor had had a nice simple planetary survey in mind, not fourteen hours a day of hard manual labor.

"It's time for Plan B," he said quietly getting his companions' attention.

"Plan B?" Daniel asked.  "I didn't know we had a Plan A."

"Plan A was to either find Teal'c or wait for rescue. I don't know about you two but I've waited long enough."

"Plan B sir?" Sam asked, already having a pretty good idea what it was and why he was considering it.

"We get the hell outta Dodge."

"What about Teal'c? We can't just leave him here?" Daniel protested.

"We're not. But the facts are that we haven't seen him for days. And there's not much the three of us can do about it. We go home, while we still can, get reinforcements and come back for him."

"We don't have our GDOs sir," Sam reminded unnecessarily. All three of them had been stripped of everything but their clothes, even their watches and dog tags.

"Don't suppose Dad told you the address of the new Tok'ra world?"

Sam shook her head. "No sir. Not since the last move."

"Ok. So we go to the Land of Light or Cimmeria. Practice our Morse code."

"That still doesn't get us out of here," Daniel reminded. The workers were housed in exhausted tunnels. It did make the morning commute a breeze but played hell with escape plans.

"Look. They have to be taking the naquadah somewhere. We just have to find where," Jack reasoned.

"I'll just ask one of the guards," Daniel quipped. "I'm sure he'll point us in the right direction."

Jack ignored him. "We'll take turns exploring. Carter you go first. Pick a tunnel and see where it leads. If you get the chance to get out undetected, take it," he ordered holding up his hand to silence her protests. "That's an order. Goal number one is to get out of here and get word back to the SGC. If we can we'll be right behind you."

Sam looked at her companions and reluctantly nodded. She knew what the colonel was doing and why he was doing it.  She hadn't missed how he and Daniel had been covering for her. And she suspected neither had the guards. She knew she in no way had to prove herself to her friends, but that didn't mean she didn't feel bad at being the weakest link.

It wasn't just her recently injured shoulder they were concerned about. They'd all noticed a distinct lack of other females in the mine and the speculative glances of the other workers. She was a liability to them in more ways than one. Maybe without them having to cover for her they'd stand a better chance.

"I'll try Cimmeria first. If I can't get through to the SGC maybe I can contact Thor and ask him for a lift."

"Cimmeria it is then. Good luck," Jack said. Sam nodded and slipped away, her dark clothing blending in with the shadows cast by the few torches on the walls.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam slipped into one of the spent tunnels, hoping that the faint breeze she felt meant an exit. She had to find a way out of the mine and soon. She'd been searching for about an hour she guessed and her absence had to have been noticed by now. Which meant that they'd likely be looking for her. And it also meant if she didn't get out soon, she probably wouldn't be getting out.

She rounded a corner and almost cheered out loud as she saw the faint glimmer of daylight a few hundred yards ahead. Escape in sight she picked up her pace then stopped as two hulking shapes blocked the beckoning light. She glanced behind her and saw another closing in. Damn. She adjusted and started backing towards the wall. "Hi. Umm…I was…I guess I got turned around."

They exchanged looks and she knew that they didn't understand her. Just like everyone else in the mine, speaking a language even Daniel couldn't decipher.

She felt her fingertips brush the rough wall and she could retreat no further. "Well I'll just head back," she gestured towards the depths of the cavern.

The trio closed ranks and Sam's instincts went into overdrive. She looked at the three men in the dim light, this time assessing them as assailants. They were all bigger than her, each about the size of Teal'c. She could hope that their bulk also made them slow. It was the only advantage she'd have. One of them reached out a meaty fist, which she batted away. "Hands off buster."

He snarled something in his native tongue. He reached out again and forcefully grabbed her right arm. She stomped down on his instep and smashed her left palm into his nose. He released her with a howl and staggered back. Another of the men wrapped his arms around her from behind, pinning her arms to her side. She threw her head back and felt it connect with his face. The third man came towards them, either to help his friend or to harm her. She didn't wait to find out. She drew up her legs and drove them into his gut. He oof'd and fell backwards.

The man holding her squeezed tighter making it hard to breathe. She kicked his shins with the heels of her boots and threw her head back again, connecting solidly this time, she knew, as she felt the sickening gush of his blood down the back of her neck. With a growl he let her go, throwing her against the tunnel wall.

She felt twin blossoms of pain as both her head and right shoulder hit the wall. Stunned she slumped to the ground struggling to breath through the agony shooting through her body.

Heavy hands rolled her to her back, one of them wrapping around her throat as she felt others fumble for her clothes. Fighting to stay conscious and her right arm useless, she brought up her left arm and dug her short fingernails into the hand at her neck trying to get some air. The assailant spat a curse at her and the blood from his damaged nose dripped on her face as he squeezed his hand tighter.

'Colonel, Daniel, I'm sorry,' she thought as the world went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zeus strode through the torch lit corridors of the palace his robes flapping behind him. He had a feeling of urgency, something he couldn't remember ever feeling before. Just as the rage he'd felt when he'd witnessed the three…creatures attacking the female had been unfamiliar. He didn't know why he cared, she was just a slave, and there were hundreds more like her. Maybe it had been the way she'd fought off her attackers? It displayed a sprit seldom seen in the mines. Most of the slaves he passed were mindless filthy automatons. Or perhaps it had been because she'd nearly escaped. Escape was a feat seldom attempted and rarely attained, most grew confused and wandered the caverns endlessly until they were found, dead or alive.

He didn't know what had drawn him to stopping the assault or killing the assailants. He should feel remorse over their deaths, his mate could scarce afford to lose three able bodied workers. But instead he felt a sense of satisfaction in their deaths. Just as he felt a sense of relief when he'd ascertained that their victim still lived.

There had been a vague sense of familiarity as he'd wrapped the battered figure in his silken cloak and smuggled her into his chambers. He was loyal to his mate but he also knew she would not understand his feelings for the woman.

Therefore he deemed that what she did not know would not hurt her.

He slipped into his chambers, not noticing the richly appointed furnishings, the large silken draped bed or the extravagance of the large fireplace. His attention rested solely upon the wizened form of Silenus, the ancient healer, and his patient bundled under coverings, her pallet close to the only heat source in the room.

"How fares the waif?" he asked the man, gaining him a startled look.

"She yet lives, a condition that will not continue should our queen discover her presence," the man warned shooting him a calculating glance.

"Our queen trusts me implicitly and has no reason to believe otherwise," he said, brushing her short hair away from her bruised face. "Should she not awaken?" It had been nearly a day since her attack and with each passing hour that she did not awaken he feared she never would.

"She did for a moment while you were gone," Silenus reported. "However she was in much pain and I feared discovery. It was a mild potion," he reassured at his master's sharp look. "She will awaken soon."

"Good." He got to his feet and crossed to a chest by the bed. Opening it he drew out a manacle attached to a long chain. He handed it to the healer ignoring the man's startled look. "She nearly escaped once. She will not again."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack watched the guard continue past him and Daniel, wishing again for his watch. Guestimation wasn't the best way to plan an escape, but it was his only option. He met Daniel's gaze and they quietly set down their pick axes and eased their way up the tunnel. Both were moving slowly and stiffly having born the brunt of the guards' questions about Sam's disappearance.

"What if Sam comes back and we're not here?" Daniel whispered as they rounded a bend.

"She could be stuck on Cimmeria. We'll just rendezvous there," he said hoping he was right.

"And if she's not there?"

"We'll find her Daniel, just like we'll find Teal'c," he answered trying to force confidence into his voice that he didn't feel. At the time sending Carter to escape had seemed a better option. But now he just couldn't shake the feeling that he'd made a horrible, horrible mistake. That they should have stuck together.

He searched for the exit, his only real guide to keep choosing the uphill looking tunnels. If Carter hadn't made it, then her only chance lay with them and they weren't going to fail her.

He rounded a corner, Daniel on his heels and stopped as his eyes caught a distant glimmer of daylight. "See Daniel, told you…" Jack stopped as he realized they weren't alone. Three hulking shapes melted from the walls to block the tantalizing light. Jack noted with morbid fascination that two of the shapes were loading what looked like bodies into a cart. His desire to run forward and make sure Carter wasn't among them was almost overwhelming.

Reason overriding preference he reached out his hand, grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him back. Time for a strategic retreat. They turned and stopped short at the sight of an imposing figure standing before them, his arms crossed over his massive chest.

"Teal'c, thank God," Jack whispered relief in his voice. Things were definitely looking up.

The Jaffa responded by raising a zat gun and shooting both men. They collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably. "You can thank your 'God' that I do not kill you where you stand slave," he said calmly as the men hurried forward drawn by the sounds of weapons fire. "Take them to the pit," he ordered slipping his zat back into his robes. It was a shame to lose such fine workers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam slowly opened her eyes, trying to focus on the rough stone ceiling. Ok, she definitely wasn't home or at the SGC.

She turned her head and bit her lip as the muscles in her neck screamed in protest along with her head. The planet, the tunnel. She slowly sat up, cataloguing the aches and pains. Her shoulder, back, ribs and head. She remembered where those came from. She pushed the blanket aside, relieved to see that she was still wearing her fatigue pants. That and a distinct lack of pain from a certain area told her the men in the tunnel must have been stopped before they attained their goal.

That was a good thing.

Now where the hell was she?

A survey of the room showed a place positively luxurious compared to where she'd spent the last several days. Two of the walls were smooth hewn stone while the other two were natural stone. The room was simply furnished, a few wooden chests sat against the walls, one of which was decorated with what she could only call a tapestry. There was a table and two chairs near the hearth just a few feet away. From her position on the floor she could see the table appeared hand made. Just visible beyond the table was a large bed shrouded with heavy curtains just like the ones she'd seen in the movies. There was a pitcher and cups on the table, the sight of which made her realize just how grungy her mouth felt and how sore her throat was.

She carefully got to her feet; using the wall she was lying against for support. She made her way to the table and poured herself a cup, relieved to find that it was just water, which she drank thirstily.

Before she could pour another serving she heard a rattling at the door. Moving as fast as her battered body would allow she moved around the table, seeking some kind of barrier between her and her host.

To her utter shock a robe-clad Teal'c strode into the room, closing the door behind him. She stared in amazement as he gave her a negligent glance then walked to one of the chests. He opened it then took off the resplendent robes he was wearing and slid what looked like a soft woolen robe over his trousers. Still silent he sat at the table and poured himself a cup of water after examining the pitcher as though he noticed it was not as full as normal. He took a drink and leaned back in the chair propping booted feet up on the table. "You are awake," he drawled taking a sip of water.

"Aah, yeah," Sam replied, frowning at her friend. There was no glimmer of recognition in his eyes, no hint of comradeship. Instead his face was set in a cold arrogant mask slightly reminiscent of the one he had worn in that cell on Chulak. Her eyes scanned the room looking for some kind of surveillance, something that would account for his behavior.

The door creaked and swung open, revealing the old man she remembered from before struggling with a tray. She watched him make his way across the room while Teal'c pointedly ignored him. The man set the tray down and wordlessly served the food to the Jaffa. She could see the slight tremble in his hands, the way his eyes darted up at Teal'c. He was afraid of him.

The old man raised the lid on the covered tray and her mouth watered at the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread. She figured it had to have been at least twenty-four hours since she'd last eaten, and her stomach was more than ready to make up for lost time.

Teal'c picked up a drumstick with one hand, his other shooting out to grab the old man's wrist in a firm grip. "Silenus, you forgot something," he said, taking a large bite of the meat, juice dribbling down his chin. Teal'c shot her a pointed glance then looked back at the man.

"My apologies master."

"I do not need your apologies, I need you to do as I say." He shoved the man towards her, causing him to stumble a bit.

The old man wrapped his gnarled fingers around her wrist. "Please," he begged pulling her towards the pallet. Not knowing what else to do she played along.

He reached down and pulled a small manacle on a long chain out of a basket and came towards her. "Whoa. What the hell are you doing?"

"I am doing what my master wishes," the man said, his eyes pleading.

Sam glanced back at Teal'c who was watching them a bored look on his face. Knowing a fight would be futile she submitted, allowing the man to chain her to the wall.

"Leave us," Teal'c ordered. With a jerky nod the man fled the room leaving Sam and Teal'c alone.

"Teal'c, what the hell is going on?" She asked quietly, tugging on the chain.

He got to his feet and walked over to her, moving in close and making her take an instinctive step back as he breached her personal space. He grabbed her chin and made her look him in the eye. "You would do well to remember human that your continued survival is solely dependant upon me. You will speak to me only when I say you can address me and when you do you will address me as 'my lord' or 'my lord Zeus'. You will do as I say when I say or I will throw you back to the vermin in the mine," he growled, releasing her head roughly. He stalked back to the table and lobbed the roll at her, which landed on the pallet at her feet. "Make a sound and I will slit your throat." He stalked from the room, closing the door sharply. Sam could hear a click as he locked her in.

Shocked at his attitude she slowly sat down on the pallet and picked up the roll, biting into it hungrily her mind trying to make sense of what had just happened.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Teal'c entered the luxurious chamber and scanned the room with a cautious eye. It was much the same as his chambers, natural rock melded with hewn stone, however this chamber was brightly lit and almost too warm. Several torches lined the walls creating a myriad of shadows that danced crazily from all directions. A large hearth burned brightly, filling the room with the aroma of wood smoke. He knew there were a dozen slaves whose sole duty was to scour the surrounding area on the surface to keep this fire burning.

Heavy silken curtains also shrouded the bed, however they were drawn back revealing a bevy of filmy sheer drapes that created the illusion of sleeping amongst the clouds. Seated before the bed was his queen, lounging upon a divan her lithe form clothed in a vibrant blue dress, which contrasted beautifully with her long blond hair.

"You are late," the woman drawled.

"I apologize my queen. I was delayed," Zeus said, kneeling before her and laying a gentle kiss on her out stretched hand.

"I shall forgive you, only because I like you," she responded caressing his face. As was his habit he sat at the floor beside her couch, his back to her. She shifted position and laid her arms across his shoulders. "I am told there was trouble in the mines."

"Two slaves attempted to escape…they are in the pit." He picked up a goblet from a golden tray by his side and took a deep drink of the ruby red wine.

She reached over his shoulder and took the cup from him, sipping coquettishly. "In the pit? Surely that is a waste of good slaves."

"They will learn the error of their ways and return to work, or they will die," he shrugged. "It does not matter which. I will find more slaves to work for you my queen."

"I know you will my consort. I have the utmost confidence in your ability." She traced one ear with her nimble fingers. "If I did not trust you, you would not be here," she whispered into his ear.

He set aside the goblet and reached over his shoulder, dragging her down to sit upon his lap. She screeched playfully then wrapped her hands around his neck. "What do you think you are doing my consort?"

"Whatever my queen wants," he said, lowering his lips to hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam swallowed the last of the bread, forcing it down a dry throat. Spying the goblet still sitting on the table she got up and reached for it, cursing when her leash wouldn't go far enough. "Oh for cryin out loud," she whispered, biting her lip as she stretched out her injured arm. Her fingertips grazed the edge of the cup and she fumbled to grab hold. The scrape of stone against stone startled her, causing the cup to spill, sending water cascading across the table. She hurriedly stepped back, instinctively searching for weapons she knew weren't at hand.

To her surprise a small section of the wall slid aside and the old man slipped into the room, closing off the secret passage behind him. He held his finger in front of his lips in a universal gesture of 'quiet'. She backed away from the table as he crossed the room. Looking at the table he silently picked up the goblet and filled it with water from the pitcher, which he held out to her. "It's safe," he said as she eyed it suspiciously.

She took it from him and drank. "Care to tell me what's going on? What happened to my friend?"

"You knew him from before?"

"For several years," she said, following her instincts.

"I thought as much. He wore clothing similar to yours when he was brought before the queen. It also explains why he risked my queen's wrath to save you," he replied, sitting heavily on one of the chairs.

"Your queen?" She held the cup out to be refilled.

"Her name is Mnemosyne, though you would be wise if she never knew that you existed. My queen is a most vain woman and does not accept competition easily. Most likely she would kill you, if she were truly generous she would gift you with her spell as she did my lord Zeus."

"Her spell? I don't suppose her eyes glow?" Sam asked, half certain of the answer.

"Only when she incensed. How do you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." Sam shook her head in disgust. Naquadah mines, goa'uld….they went hand in hand. "What's this spell of hers? Did she hurt him?"

He shook his head emphatically. "No. No. Her spell never hurts. She takes away the pain, it is truly a blessing."

"What pain? Was he hurt?" Sam asked as a diagnosis of traumatic amnesia came to mind. She'd seen it before.

"Not in body. In spirit. My queen took that pain away."

"How?"

"Her bracelet, the gift of the gods, it takes the pain away." He held up his left hand.

Sam closed her eyes and sighed. "A ribbon device, great," she muttered. It did make sense in an odd way. She knew first hand that it could certainly scramble your brains, and Shau'ri had used it to send a message, so blanking out memories or re-writing them wasn't too far of a stretch. "What about you? You know a lot for a slave."

"I am not a slave, I was my queen's consort for many years until I grew too old and my stamina faded."

"You're not a goa'uld, or Jaffa for that matter."

The man smiled. "My queen prefers humans to be Zeus, however, in recent years ordinary humans have not fared well."

"But the fortitude given to a Jaffa by his symbiote has other uses," Sam intuited. "I came here with two others, men dressed like me. Do you know where they are?"

He abruptly got to his feet. "I should go. I do not know how long your master will be gone."

"No. No. Please. Are they ok?" Sam pleaded as he opened the secret door.

"They live," he said over his shoulder. "However you should know, few survive the pit for long," he said, quickly sliding through the door, closing it behind him and leaving Sam alone. She sat back upon the pallet trying to get comfortable which wasn't easy given that one arm was attached to the wall and another badly bruised. 

His memory, she had to have messed with Teal'c's memory, like Apophis had before. Unfortunately calling Bra'tac to help wasn't quite an option at the moment. And if what the old man said was right, the colonel and Daniel were in deep trouble.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Pitiful, absolutely pitiful," Jack cursed beneath his breath as he shifted position, the painful poking of one rock replaced by another. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them in a vain attempt to work some warmth into his numbed digits. It didn't do much good. He vowed never to complain about volcanic vents again he thought as he fought a convulsive shiver.

As pits went, this one was horribly unimaginative, apparently a dumping ground for naquadah-less rock, their present accommodations was literally a pit, strewn with piles and piles of rock leaving practically no level ground. And there was the persistent damp subterranean chill that innocuously seeped into your bones until you were sure you'd never be warm again.

He and Daniel hadn't really noticed it at first, their nerves still screaming their protest at being zatted. But several hours after being lowered into the pit, they were both feeling the effects.

They'd agreed to take turns sleeping, not only to guard against hypothermia but also to watch out for the occasional load of rocks dumped around them. Some workers were careful to dump their rocks as far away as they could; others took perverse satisfaction in watching him and Daniel scurry over the rubble to avoid being crushed.

Hearing the creak of a wheelbarrow jack reached out and shook Daniel awake. The man jerked with a suddenness that told Jack just how badly this intermittent rocky hailstorm was rattling his nerves.

They tensed; ready to dart to safety then relaxed as they recognized one of the friendlier slaves. "How much longer can we keep this up?" Daniel asked as rocks rained down in the other side of the pit, a few bouncing close to the pair.

"As long as we can," Jack answered.

"Which is about another forty-eight hours," Daniel said baldly. "Come on Jack, I'm not an idiot. No food, water and little sleep. We can't go for more than a couple of days before our bodies just shut down or we're too weak to move the next time someone decides to use us for target practice."

"Look Daniel. We almost made it out, chances are Carter did. And Teal'c is in here too."

"Teal'c is who put us in this hell hole in the first place."

"He must have a plan."

"Yeah. Like he had a plan when he brought Apophis aboard our hatak."

"Daniel…"

"No. I saw the look on his face then and now. There was NO recognition. We're nothing to him right now." Jack didn't respond and Daniel knew it was to avoid an argument, something neither of them needed to waste their waning strength on. He sighed. "Catch some z's. I'll keep a lookout."

With a nod Jack closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of the door opening pulled Sam from her slumber. Exhausted from recent events she'd curled up on the pallet what felt like hours ago, still trying to think of something she could do to get her and the rest of her team out of here. She hadn't even remembered falling asleep.

Remaining still she opened her eyes a bit and watched Teal'c enter the room. Ignoring her he crossed to the ewer on the stand and poured some water into the bowl. As she watched he undressed and using a small piece of cloth, he washed.

Even from across the room she could see scratch marks on his back across each shoulder blade. She didn't need much imagination to figure out what he'd been up to and with whom. The real question was, how did she use the information for her benefit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of the door opening woke Sam again. She sat up slowly, watching Silenus bring in a tray of food. Somehow the fire had dwindled over night and she drew up her legs trying to warm up as she felt goose bumps rise on her bare arms. She could smell something hot on the tray, slightly like old-fashioned bacon and eggs. She saw steam rising from a pitcher waving like a specter in the chill of the room.

Barely sparing her a glance, the old man set the tray down and made his way to the bed. "My lord," he said, pulling back the curtains.

"Why do you plague me?" Teal'c asked grumpily.

"You left instructions my lord. I was to wake you with the dawn. Our mistress desires slaves to replace those we have lost," he replied, stepping back from the bed.

She watched Teal'c slowly crawl out of bed, much like she did on those Monday mornings that followed a late Sunday night. Silenus held out a heavy robe which Teal'c shrugged into then lazily made his way over to the table. He sat down and poured the hot water into a mug, a sweet smell wafting into the air that made her stomach growl. As Teal'c ate, Silenus made his bed and disappeared with the ewer, returning a few moments later with a full one.

"Have a nice night?" Sam asked quietly.

"How I spend my evenings is not your concern slave," he growled between bites of food.

"No of course not. I was just trying to make conversation."

"You are not here for conversation," he said, getting to his feet and standing over her.

"Really, then what am I here for?" She asked, looking up at him. When had he gotten so tall?

"You are here for whatever I say you are here for. I could snap your neck like kindling."

"And I could shatter your foot." She laid her hand on his bare foot. "Or rearrange your kneecap," She said, half expecting to get knocked into next week. But it was a risk she had to take. Her only chance of getting around his programming was to make him talk to her.

To her utter surprise he laughed. "That is why I saved your life. Obedient slaves are boring." He stepped back and crossed to the bed, quickly dressing in the clothes Silenus had laid out. He pulled a simple wool robe out of one of the trunks and threw it at her.

Wrapping it around her shoulders she watched him pick up the tray from the table and put it within her reach. He had eaten heartily but there was still enough food left for another person. "I must go and attend my queen. Do not make a sound. I shall return later." Sam watched him leave then fell upon the tray of food, forcing herself not to cram it into her mouth.

"You risk much," Silenus said, watching her with sad eyes.

"I have no intention of spending the rest of my life chained to the wall like some glorified cocker spaniel. I don't suppose you can get me some more?" She asked, holding up the empty plate. "And some water, maybe in something I can store it in for those times when he forgets to feed me," She asked, giving him the best 'I'm pathetic, feel sorry for me, puppy dog eyes' she could muster. It had worked with her dad a time or three.

"If the master finds out…."

"I'm not going to tell him. And…if I'm really his new pet he doesn't want me passing out from hunger."

Silenus gave a reluctant nod and picked up the empty tray. "Do not make a sound. The mistress will kill you in an instant. She is most possessive of her men," he warned.

Sam nodded and sat back down on the pallet as he left the room. She tugged at the chain at her wrist, fiddling with it, searching for a weakness. Trying to ease a cramp in her leg she shifted position and felt something poke her. Digging in the seams of the robe she found a strip of metal, perhaps four inches in length. A cloak pin. She'd seen similar things on Cimmeria, metal pins created to turn a piece of material into a cloak. Smiling for the first time in days she pulled her hand into her lap and started probing the locking mechanism with the pin. First she had to lose her leash then she could figure out the secret door, and maybe, just maybe find the colonel and Daniel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack tore a piece off of his t-shirt and used it to dab at the blood welling from the middle of a large bruise. "Sadistic SOB," he muttered.

"You shouldn't have picked on the guy before. Maybe then he wouldn't be using us for target practice," Daniel said, cleaning his own wounds as best he could with no water.

"How the hell was I to know he understood us? Most everyone else here doesn't even speak English."

"Flipping the bird is pretty universal," Daniel said in a resigned tone.

"Yeah, well next time the sucker is gonna get a surprise." Jack got to his feet and picked his way across the debris, bending over occasionally to pick up baseball sized rocks.

"All you're going to do is make him madder," Daniel said, though he knew it would make little difference. And to be honest, the thought of striking back held a certain appeal.

"I am not going to cower here waiting for him to toss a rock down…" Jack cut himself off and motioned for Daniel to get against the wall. They both stood motionless as they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Bracing himself against the wall, Jack cocked his arm, ready to let his missile fly. A shrouded shape appeared over the rim and Jack threw the rock, hitting the shape square in the middle. He heard an exclamation of pain as the shape fell. "Gotcha," he crowed.

"Well at least I know you're alive," an all too familiar female voice said from the rim of the pit.

"Sam?"

"Carter?"

"Colonel. A little cease-fire. I bear gifts." She held a bundle over the edge of the pit.

"Shit. Sorry Carter. I thought you were….never mind. You ok?" Jack picked his way across the floor.

"Peachy sir." She slowly poked her head over the rim and seeing that Daniel was below her, let the bundle drop. "It's not much but all I could get." Once Daniel caught the first bundle she dropped a water skin.

"Where's the backup?" Jack asked as Daniel tore into the food, passing some to him.

"Aah…never got that far. It's a long story."

"Have you seen Teal'c?" Daniel asked.

"Oh yeah," she answered, the tone of her voice telling them there was much, much more to the story. "Daniel, have you heard of a god named knee-mah-zahn-ee?"

"Umm…one of the muses, memory I think, why?" He asked around a mouthful of bread.

"That's apparently the name of our host, and the person who's got Teal'c under her spell. She calls him Zeus," Sam said.

"Do you see a rope up there?" Jack asked.

Sam glanced around. "No sir. Colonel, someone's coming. I have to get back. I'll try and bring more food and a rope in the morning."

Without another word Sam pulled herself back from the edge and disappeared into the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mnemosyne entered Teal'c's chambers a group of slaves trailing her. Waving her arm as permission they set to stirring up the fire and setting the table with a large bounty of delicacies. She lay on the bed and watched them work, her hand rubbing her abdomen. It was nearly time. Within a day or two she would be fertile and able to spawn. This Jaffa stirred her as no consort ever had. It had been years since a lover had been able to trigger the hormonal changes necessary for her to spawn. And she planned to make the most of it. Just as her slaves finished appointing the room, the door opened revealing her quarry.

"My queen, this is a surprise," Zeus said, his eyes darting about the room.

"But I like surprises," she said, leaving the bed to walk to him. "Leave us," she ordered the slaves. "You have been hard at work all day, the least I could do is take care of my lord." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the table. He sat down and she picked up a goblet and pitcher, pouring him a glass of wine. He took it from her, drinking deeply. She sat on his lap and picked a morsel of food from the tray, feeding him. "This pleases you?"

He nodded as he chewed. "Very much so."

"Then I am happy. I must please my lord."

He swallowed then pushed her long hair back from her face. "This pleases me more," he said, nibbling on her ear.

She moaned and wrapped her hands around his neck. "I want you to please me more," she whispered in his ear. He wrapped his arms around her trim waist and pulled her close, lowering his mouth to hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam made her way through the dark cobweb shrouded tunnels a sense of urgency pushing her forward. She had to get back before Teal'c discovered her escape. It had taken her longer than she'd planned to pick the lock on the manacle. In all reality she should have turned back and looked for the colonel and Daniel later but she had to know their condition, especially after Silenus' dire prediction. She had to get them out of there. But how? Where was she going to get a rope? Silenus had been happy to get her food but she had a feeling that asking for a method of escape was a little much. Maybe she could swipe the bed sheets and see if the old cliché really worked?

She heard a noise and tensed, then relaxed as Silenus melted from the shadows. "Sssh," he urged hurrying towards her.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

"My queen is with your master. If she sees you she will kill you." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down the tunnel. "I know a place where you may spend the night."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Teal'c closed the door behind his queen and turned back to the room, walking over to the pallet that fortunately Mnemosyne had been too preoccupied to notice. He knelt down and fingered the manacle hanging open at the end of the chain. His waif was most resourceful. He would have to do something about that, no matter how fortuitous her disappearance had been.

He heard the grinding of stone and shot to his feet, his body tensing as he watched a section of the wall open and a cloak clad figure slip into the room. She pushed back the hood and stood staring at him. "Where did you go?" He demanded.

"Somewhere safe from a jealous goa'uld," she retorted picking a cup from the table and taking a drink.

"You are not to leave without my permission." He stalked to her, pulling the cup from her hand.

"My leaving likely saved both of our lives," she spat back pushing past him. She didn't have time to play the submissive slave girl not when the rest of her team was in mortal danger while he played gigolo.

He caught her arm and spun her around. "Do not speak to your master in such a fashion!"

"You are not my master. Your name is Teal'c. You renounced Apophis five years ago and have been fighting at our side ever since. You're no god. You're a jaffa." She tore her arm from his grasp.

He paused and stared at her. "You lie." He picked up the hem of her cloak and held it up. "This is tunnel mud. You were trying to escape."

"Of course I'm trying to escape. Do you really think I want to spend the rest of my life as your pet? Do you remember your son, your wife? Your mentor Bra'tac. General Hammond. Colonel O'Neill, Daniel? They're your life. You're dedicated to fighting the goa'uld not hunting slaves by day and servicing a snakehead by night."

"Silence!" He roared, pushing her to the floor. "You lie."

"Come on Teal'c. We don't have time for a ritual. Take a minute and remember what you are, who you are."

He stared at her, confusion crossing his face. "No. No I…"

"Betrayer!"

Teal'c spun to see an enraged Mnemosyne standing at the threshold. "I knew you had a secret. I have given you everything and you betray me like this." She stormed into the room.

"I have not betrayed you my queen," Teal'c said reasonably.

"You keep a woman in your chambers and say you are not betraying me." She stepped closer to Sam and leaned over her. "An ex-host no less. Is that your plan? You will replace me with her?" She spun, raising her left hand adorned with her ribbon device. With a howl of rage she fired it, the force throwing him across the room. He crashed into the table with the ewer on it, crushing it against the wall and lay still.

She turned back to Sam who was struggling to her feet. "Look. We can talk about this."

"I hate to talk," Mnemosyne said, firing her ribbon device again and throwing Sam against the wall. She hit hard and slumped motionless to the floor.

Mnemosyne stalked back to Teal'c who was beginning to stir. "I will not be thwarted, not when I am this close," she whispered, the stone in her ribbon device starting to glow. Concentrating, she aimed the beam at Teal'c's forehead. She had to reweave her spell. He would not leave her. She could not stand to be alone again, barren and unloved, having to console herself with puny humans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Teal'c forced his eyes open, pain coursing through his body. Feeling like he was watching a Tau'ri television show he watched Mnemosyne blast Major Carter against the wall. The goa'uld queen turned and walked towards him. In a flash he remembered, they'd been attacked, he'd been separated from his friends, taken bound and gagged before the goa'uld. She'd caressed him, appraised him, then the glow from her palm, the pain then the welcome darkness. He had vague dream-like memories of Major Carter being attacked, O'Neill and DanielJackson almost attaining freedom.

"I will not be thwarted, not when I am this close," she whispered, her palm again glowing. She wanted him, needed him as Hathor had needed DanielJackson. No. He would not aid in another generation of goa'uld. He would not let his friends die.

Pain blossomed between his eyes and he almost passed out. Using the last bit of his fading strength his fingers fumbled and found a shard of the shattered ewer. With a hoarse cry he pushed his hand up, the crockery scraping across her ribs as he pushed her aside.

She gasped, falling back her hands clutching her abdomen. "Beloved?" She asked, her voice choked with emotion, and disbelief.

He leaned over her and tore her ribbon device from her hand, tossing it to the floor, the crystal shattering. "I am not your beloved," he sneered.

He staggered past her and knelt by Sam, feeling for a pulse. He nearly shouted his relief when he felt the faint beat beneath his fingers. She was badly injured but alive. She moaned and stirred and he placed a hand out to still her. "Major Carter, it is best if you do not move."

"Teal'c? You're back?" she whispered.

"Indeed. It is best if you do not move," he repeated.

"I don't think it will make a difference," she said, coughing slightly. To his horror a small trickle of blood appeared between her lips. Resigned blue eyes met his and her hand fumbled for his. "Get them a rope. I promised them a rope." Her eyes fluttered shut and his heart broke at the sound of her ragged breathing. He needed no doctor to tell him that she was dying.

He left her and returned to Mnemosyne who was shakily sitting up. "Do you have a healing device?"

"I will not save her," she laughed bitterly, getting to her feet, her hands guarding her wound.

Teal'c glanced from her to Sam still lying on the floor. "Save her and I will give you what you want. I will father your children."

"You will do it anyway. Or you will rot in the pit until you die."

"I will not submit to you again. I will rescue my friends and we shall return here with weapons of destruction that will raze your domain to ashes. And when we are done we shall tell the rest of the system lords where you are and what treasures you hold. I can think of several who would wish to acquire another naquadah mine."

"You would not dare."

"We have rid the galaxy of several goa'uld, we have killed Seth, Cronos and Hathor with our bare hands, you are nothing to us."

She stopped and thought a moment. "You give my your word that you will father my children."

"Upon my honor as a warrior, I shall father your children."

With a petulant, resigned sigh she slumped. "Very well. Bring her." She turned and strode from the room. Teal'c quickly picked Sam up and followed her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam slowly opened her eyes trying to focus on the room. Memory rushed back and she tried to sit up, crying out loud at the stab of pain in her chest.

"Major Carter." Teal'c rushed into her field of vision and knelt before her.

"What happened?"

"You were injured, Mnemosyne healed you however it is best if you do not move too quickly. I…I owe you an apology for your treatment."

Sam slowly sat up, looking around. She was in a different room, one more opulent than the one before. Given the extravagance of the surroundings she figured they had to be in the queen's chambers.  "Teal'c, you saved my life. It's ok just…don't spread around the whole chaining to a wall thing, I have enough of a reputation as it is. Where's queenie?" Sam asked, looking at the shrouded bed.

"She is no longer an impediment," He said evasively. "We should make haste. I believe Colonel O'Neill and DanielJackson would appreciate any efficiency we can attain in liberating them." He held out one hand, the other clutching one of their GDO's and helped her to her feet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Janet took the report from the tech and glanced at it before making her way to the curtained bed. "Well Teal'c, I'm glad to say everything looks normal," she said to the Jaffa who was seated on the bed awaiting the results of the CAT scan. "Whatever Mnemosyne did to you it either wasn't permanent or has been fixed."

He nodded gravely. He knew the rewriting of his memory was gone, however he and he was sure the others, required proof that he was not going to betray them again. "The others?" he asked.

"Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are resting. Just some nasty cuts and bruises. A little time and a few good meals and they'll be good as new, same with Major Carter. All in all you guys came back relatively unscathed," she said, studying him closely. Physically unscathed she said to herself. Mentally? That was another whole can of worms. Up until a few months ago the idea that Teal'c would betray them had been unthinkable. Now twice in a too short span of time he'd had his memory messed with and betrayed his team to a goa'uld. She knew there were those among the higher ups that had been lobbying for removing Teal'c from SG-1 for years. She only hoped word of what had happened on the planet could be kept from those people.

"May I leave?" He asked hopping down from the bed.

"Sure. Just call me if you experience anything out of the ordinary," she said giving him what she hoped was a reassuring look. "It'll be ok Teal'c." He nodded but she could see the disbelief in his eyes as he walked past her and out of the infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

General Hammond knocked perfunctorily on the door then entered the darkened room. Teal'c didn't acknowledge him as he lowered himself to the floor, setting the small bundle he carried at his side and frowning slightly as he remembered days when he could sit on the floor without being afraid he'd never get up again.

He shifted a bit trying to get comfortable as he acknowledged that though Teal'c may be old enough to be his father there was no way in hell he'd ever be able to attain the cross legged position the Jaffa preferred for his meditation.

"General Hammond," the man finally acknowledged grudgingly after several minutes of silence.

"Teal'c. You know after all these years I realize I never asked you if you wanted to do something with this room, paint the walls, maybe get a rug," The general said surveying the room.

Spartan was a nice term. Barren was a better one. Aside from the multitude of candles and a few rather distinctive outfits in the armoire, there was no sign that the room was occupied. It essentially looked the same now as it had five years earlier when Teal'c had first been assigned the room.

"The room is sufficient for my needs. Until I proved myself as First Prime of Apophis I shared a communal room with thirty other warriors."

"Barracks." George nodded. "I spent several frustrating and educational years in barracks on three continents. Hell on the social life but the best way to truly learn whom you're serving with. People get comfortable and let their guard down. Best way to find out who you can trust." Teal'c tensed and kept his gaze focused on the floor between them. "The other members of your team gave their reports on what happened on P4Z323 and their recollection varies a bit from yours."

"I reported events as they transpired."

"I'm sure you did but, well there seems to be a few discrepancies." He picked up a folder he'd brought into the room with him and opened it up, squinting in the dim light. "You said you restrained against her will and assaulted Major Carter however she says you prevented her FROM being assaulted and gave her safe haven in your quarters. And further more you convinced the goa'uld queen to heal life threatening injuries caused by said queen thus saving her life again."

"Had I not imprisoned her in my chambers she would not have been injured."

"If you hadn't stopped her assailants she'd be dead right now," Hammond said coldly. "You reported that you prevented Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson's escape and imprisoned them in a pit to die," he continued, consulting the file.

"That is correct."

"They say you kept them from inadvertently leaving Major Carter behind and held them someplace, however uncomfortable it may have been, that was safer than the mines where they had made some rather large and nasty enemies."

"I would not call that pit a refuge."

"If you were so much a threat to them why didn't you kill them when you had the chance? A second zat blast, heck a third one and you would have destroyed all the evidence."

"It would have been a waste to kill two slaves."

"You killed the three that were attacking Carter, at least that's how your team reported it." Hammond picked up one of Teal'c's candles. "What do you see?"

"General Hammond?" He asked, puzzled by the abrupt change.

"What do you see?" the man repeated.

"A half consumed candle," Teal'c said in a patronizing voice.

"Or a candle with hours of light yet to give. Some look upon Colonel O'Neill and see a sarcastic SOB with one foot in the nuthouse and the other in the brig. I see one of the finest officers I've ever had the honor to serve with.

Some see Doctor Jackson as a geeky academic who should never be let off world. I see a man with an indomitable spirit who gifted Earth with a galaxy of possibilities.

I see Major Carter as an eminently capable officer who never ceases to amaze me with what she can think up while others see a workaholic who may have had one too many aliens crawl in her head.

Over the years I've been called eighteen shades of a fool for assigning you to SG-1. To many on this planet you are a time bomb contained in Pandora's box. Undeniable living proof of alien life and keeper of our greatest enemy.

When you were under Apophis' brain washing I was besieged on a daily basis for permission to study you, requests that I vehemently denied." The man pulled a zat gun from the bundle. "I was prepared to use this to give you coup de grace before I turned you over to them. If people ask me what I see before me right now I would say a loyal friend who I'd trust with my life and the lives of my people. And your teammates feel the same way."

Teal'c shook his head. "I betrayed them."

"You saved them."

"That is not what happened."

"That is how they perceive events."

"Their perception is flawed."

"Perhaps yours is flawed. I've talked to all three members of your team, candidly and openly. They have NO reservations about you, now Doctor Jackson is a bit annoyed but they still trust you and so do I." He looked the Jaffa in the eyes. "And just as I was prepared to kill you rather than let you spend the rest of your life as a lab rat, I am prepared to use this if I ever feel you are a threat to this base or the rest of your team."

Teal'c sighed and nodded. "Thank you General Hammond."

"Now, I have been told that Doctor Fraiser is releasing the rest of your team from the infirmary this morning. I'm sure she would be most appreciative if there was anything you could do to assure that Colonel O'Neill and the others actually listen to her instructions," he said wryly.

"I would be most honored," Teal'c replied rising gracefully to his feet. The general tried then held up his hand with a frustrated look. Wordlessly the Jaffa pulled Hammond to his feet.

"Damn floor just keeps getting lower and lower," he muttered, his face flushing.

"Indeed," he replied, holding the door open so the man could precede him out into the hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silenus opened the door to his queen's chamber trying not to spill the contents of his tray. He knew she had left orders not to be disturbed however that had been a day prior. And he knew his mistress and her consort, no matter how lost in each other they may be, would need sustenance.

He set the tray down on the table and shivered in the cold room. His mistress hated the cold. He built the fire up and soon flames were cracking merrily in the hearth. "My lady, my apologies," he said, laying out the food in the manner she preferred. "You must keep up your strength," he said, remembering fondly how bed sport whetted her appetite.

Getting no response he crossed to the bed. Perhaps the Jaffa had truly exhausted her. "My lady?" He drew back the curtains, ready to duck should she take offense at his forwardness.

He gasped and sank to his knees. "Oh my lady," he cried softly, reaching out his hand to stroke her still, cold face. "What did he do to you?" He smoothed her tangled hair and traced the faint bruises on her neck, the unmistakable outline of fingers present on her pale skin. "I'll make you better my queen, I will fix this. Then we shall make him pay," he vowed as hot tears splashed on her still face. "We will make him pay."

Fin


End file.
